A Grave Mistake: SelfInflicted Tragedy
by Uchihaprodigy
Summary: Konoha has a tendency to make its own greatest enemies...One mistake on the Hokage's part seals a young boys fate...One mistake by a villages creates a new demon they must face...One mistake by a would be abductor changes everything...


**A Gave Mistake: Self-Inflicted Tragedy**

Chapter 1

Sunlight filtered through the clouds illuminating the sprawling city of Konohakagure. This idyllic morning dawned with people already milling about the cities streets, the barely suppressed air of celebration putting a slight bounce in even the most hardened of Shinobis' step. One thought pervaded the collective mind set of the Hidden Village of Leaves…_"It's Over, It's finally OVER!..." _Peace had finally graced this village after nearly half a decade of war. The country of Lightning had marshaled it's ninja of the Hidden Village in the Clouds and sensing the weakness of Konohakagure following the devastation caused by the legendary Younma, Kyuubi no Kitsune launched attack after brutal attack, gaining nothing but an increasing body count on both sides. After these five long years an armistice had been reached, Konoha's reign as the strongest Hidden Village would not be so easily thwarted. As enemies became allies, this day was thought to mark rejuvenation, Konoha's future secured. Standing Treaties with the Hidden Villages in Sand, Stone and now Cloud left only the destabilized Hidden Village in the Mist, racked by civil wars, to oppose The Hidden Village of Leaves. And yet, sadly, the promise of a bright Fate was all too quickly darkened by the heavy clouds of sorrow.

As the sun climbed higher and higher, more and more people packed the morning kissed streets, jostling and chatting good naturedly; eager for the show. Thicker the tension and louder the collective voices grew until at noon, as if by some unspoken agreement all shadows withdrew banished from this gathering patently awaiting a bigger prize. The mighty Gates of Konohakagure were opening and a hush befell the crowd. Three men marched proudly through. In over five years no Cloud-nin had ever walked so brazenly on Konoha's streets, and yet these men were greeted with cheers. Comrades, lovers, friends and family all lost to an enemy that was being haled. The Ambassadors had come. The younger brother of the Raikage himself would sign a peace treaty and end the horrible bloodshed. No more lives would be lost. And yet what of the lives already lost? It seems in fair Konoha Forgiveness can be commissioned only by the strong, and paid for by the threat to self-preservation. It was a day marked by cheers and praising false heroes. The day the end began.

As the people of Konoha welcomed their former enemies a young boy struggled through the crowd intent to see the men that commanded such respect and admiration from even complete strangers. A child of 5, this boy seemed to struggle against the unmoving crowd often getting knocked down only to pick himself up and press closer towards his goal. That is not to say that all the people that noticed him ignored him, quite the opposite really. Many in the crowed took an opportunity to move a foot into the boy's path sending him sprawling on the paved road, and as harsh as this might seem it was the other people that truly hurt the younger boy. With looks of absolute disgust many in the crowd even parted before the child in an exaggerated manner as if even the merest of contact might irrevocably contaminated them from the unseen ailment harbored in this child's body. Finally the blonde boy managed to push his way through the crowd, pausing only to wipe a fleck of spit courtesy of the old hag that ran the tea pallor several streets over. The sight that greeted his azure eyes might have been unremarkable to other children his age, in fact one such child was fast asleep dreaming of the clouds overhead oblivious to the parade and subsequent scolding to follow running away from his mother and getting grass stains all over his new shirt. Three men marched down the street cleared in honor for these guests. It was the man in the lead that commanded the attention of the blue eyed child, with his head wrapped in bandages and his forehead protector tilted to cover his right eye the man casually waved to the crowed as if simply accepting the love due a man of his greatness. The young boy with gleaming gold locks was enthralled, _"This is the kind of man I will be, powerful and acknowledged and loved by all". _This thought further led the young boy into his day dreams of grandeur. It came as quite a shock when the young boy was hoisted off the ground by the collar of his shirt and quickly pulled back through the crowd. "Dammit! Let go of me ya bastards!" yelled the loud little blond barely eliciting a glance and scowl or sneer from the indifferent crowd. Into the shadows of an alley the boy and his captors vanished from sight. In another city, at another time a small child with red hair clutched his beloved teddy bear crying at a split in the seams. It might seem that Konohakagure, widely acclaimed as the most powerful shinobi village in the world was apathetic to the plight of its children. However this boy, with shimmering silky gold hair and deepest cerulean eyes, carried a burden so cruel and terrible even a certain Nine-Tailed Fox shuddered at the inconceivable evil that sought to tarnish such a pure soul. Both aroused and repulsed by the evil these humans have committed, the Nine-Tailed fiend laughed at the irony of being labeled a demon. "**_Humanity alone can produce such untarnished purity and vile hubris" _**laughed the great beast; settling down and returning to dreaming its wicked dreams as the white soul encasing its infinite power darkened a bit more.

Well I decided to post this early in hopes of drawing some inspiration from my reviewers, so take a moment and scribble a comment or two. Stroking my ego does wonders for the speed of my updating. All in all, I don't know when I'll update next, I know it's nice when the authors I read try to stick to a schedule so I'll do my best. This is my second story posted on First one was a humiliation, so I'd appreciate any and all forms of criticism, and Thank you for reading my indulgence. 04/07/05


End file.
